What are the Downsides of Whole-House Carbon Filters

Imagine how much better your home will be if you have filtered water flowing throughout your home. No more plastic bottles wasted or having to carry heavy jugs of water. With a whole-house carbon filter, you’ll rarely have to worry about unfiltered water again and enjoy better-tasting water.

For over 15 years, we’ve helped homeowners with questions and concerns about carbon filters. We know how essential it is to understand a product’s potential drawbacks so you’re better prepared to handle any possible future issues. At Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating & Air, we’ve installed and helped maintain thousands of whole-house carbon filters throughout Los Angeles and the surrounding areas.

Here are some of the possible downsides of whole-house carbon filters.

• Backwash cycle failure
• Mold
• Clogs
• Does not dissolve solids or minerals

These inconveniences related to whole-house carbon filters may sound intimidating, but consistent care and routine maintenance will help avoid these issues generally. Now, let’s take a deeper look at whole-house carbon filter drawbacks.

What Are the Disadvantages of Whole-House Carbon Filters?

Before we dive into the disadvantages of whole-house carbon filters, we will briefly mention how they effectively reduce the following contaminants.

• Chlorine
• Chloramines
• Lead
• Reduces fluoride
• Pesticides
• Other harmful organic chemicals

The carbon filter is installed at the point of entry where public water enters the home. It is usually installed outside near the water heater. It is a single-tank system that can filter contaminants through a process called carbon adsorption. The inside of the tank’s surface area has a carbon filter that attracts the dissolved contaminants and keeps them from traveling in the water entering your home.

Municipal water plants do a great job of filtering out contaminants, but chlorine is added to water. According to the California Water Service, chlorine disinfection is added to kill potentially harmful microorganisms. The amounts of chlorine in the water are deemed safe to consume by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Los Angeles tap water is tested every year to ensure that it is safe to drink.

Filtration is a vital component of these whole-house water treatment systems. So what happens if there’s an issue with your home’s carbon filter? We’ll take a closer look at that in the following section.

Backwash Cycle Failure

Whole-house carbon filters are low maintenance thanks to their automatic backwash cycles. A backwash cycle is when the system detects a buildup of captured contaminants and then proceeds to wash away into a drainage system. Although rare, the backwash cycle can fail, which can cause the contaminants caught by the carbon filter to build up and clog.

Most whole-house carbon filtration systems have an automatic backwash schedule that’s monitored by the head unit. If there’s a mechanical failure with the head unit, the system cannot backwash properly. Some systems allow you to program a backwash manually, but if the control unit isn’t responding, it’s best to contact a technician for further evaluation.

A whole-house carbon filter that doesn’t backwash is susceptible to other issues, such as mold.

Mold Formed Inside

It’s difficult for mold to form inside carbon water filters, but under certain conditions, it is possible. Mold grows in dark and moist environments and feeds off minerals in the moisture. When carbon filters aren’t cleaned out, mold can form and feed off the minerals that are flowing in the water.

Typically, it’s hard for mold to form on filters and plumbing pipes because there isn’t enough oxygen to facilitate its growth. Dirty filters play a significant role in the chances of mold developing.

It is important to inspect to have whole-house carbon filters scheduled for cleaning and replacement. The mold that breaks off and contaminates the water can become a health risk.

Even if they don’t catch mold, whole-house carbon filters can get clogged. Clogged carbon filters are another concern to know about, which we cover in the following section.

Carbon Filter System Clogs

Carbon filters gather contaminants, and over time, these contaminants merge. With routine cleaning, these remaining contaminants are cleaned out and drained away. A clog can form when a carbon filter isn’t routinely cleaned and maintained.

A clogged carbon filter will fail to adequately trap contaminants. The clog can cause a change in the taste of water. The only way to avoid clogs and other issues mentioned in the previous section is with proper maintenance and periodic filter replacement.

Although these systems do a great job of filtering specific contaminants, some pollutants don’t filter out completely.

Does Not Filter Dissolved Solids and Other Minerals

You can expect whole-house carbon filters to catch certain contaminants, but they do not purify water completely. They also do not soften water as a water softener does. This is because a whole-house carbon filter doesn’t target the minerals that cause hard water: calcium and magnesium.

Carbon filters don’t filter out dissolved solids like iron from old corroded plumbing pipes. Before you install a whole-house carbon filter, you should have a technician inspect your home’s pipes for any unseen issues.

The chances of having microorganisms contaminate your home’s water are low, but it is still possible. These filtration systems also don’t filter out any microorganisms that may find their way into the water.

Some homeowners compliment their home’s carbon filter system with a reverse osmosis system installed in the kitchen. A reverse osmosis system can further filter out pollutants and improve water quality even more.

Are Whole-House Carbon Filters Right For Me?

Whole-house carbon filtration is a sure way to improve your home’s water quality. As impressive as these systems are, they still have a few flaws. Now that you understand these drawbacks, you’ll be in a better position to prevent them from happening and know what to do if they occur.

At Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating & Air, water filtration is a topic we’re very passionate about. Aside from helping homeowners have cleaner water available in their homes, we also help educate them on the different issues, costs, and comparisons of water treatment systems.

If you have questions regarding water treatments like whole-house carbon filters, contact us with one of the contact buttons below. You can also book an appointment with us using our water filtration scheduler.

If you’re ready to purchase a whole-house treatment system, check out this article for more information on costs.